hexapod

English

WOTD – 5 December 2011

Etymology

From hexa- + -pod, from Ancient Greek ἑξαποδ- (hexapod-), oblique stem of ἑξάπους (hexápous, six-footed), from ἑξα- (hexa-, six) + πούς (poús, foot).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɛk.sə.pɒd/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɛk.sə.pɑd/

Noun

hexapod (plural hexapods)

  1. Any organism or being with six legs.
    • 1983, Jean-Marc Lofficier, The Doctor Who Programme Guide, volume 2, page 8:
      My lips will be even more firmly sealed about the various suggestions put forward concerning the interpersonal relationships of Alpha Centauri, the hermaphrodite hexapod.
    • 2000, Alan Dean Foster, A Triumph of Souls
      The bizarre hexapods did indeed feed upon those unfortunate creatures who had been caught and killed by the flames. But the striped carnivores were not scavengers; They were hunters.
    • 2007, Gaurav Suhas Sukhatme, Stefan Schaal, Wolfram Burgard (eds.), Robotics: Science and Systems II, page 97
      These concepts are applied to a robotic hexapod, which, through the use of compliant microspines on its feet, is capable of climbing hard vertical textured surfaces, such as stucco
  2. An arthropod with six feet; a member of subphylum Hexapoda.
  3. (dated) An insect.

Translations

Adjective

hexapod (not comparable)

  1. Having six feet, six-footed; belonging to the subphylum Hexapoda, hexapodous.
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